Automatic pistol



E. S. POMEROY. AUTOMATIC PlsToL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27.1921.

Patented 9ct. 17, 1922.

wEsSoN, or SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS; AI'VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATINUNDER 'DECLARATION OF TRUST.

QaZZ tchovavz'timaiyco-ncem: Be it'known that I, EDWARD S. PoMnRoY,

acitizen of thev United States of America,

. residing Vin .Springiielchin lthe county of Hampdenand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful ,Improvementsin Automatic Pisto-ls,"of which the following is a specification. f

f This invention relates to automatic pistols or Aother firearms of the recoil-operated type, wherein the back-pressure ofthe gases due tothe explosion forces back the breech block and thereby ejects theempty shell, re-

cocksthe arm, and reloads it ready for the next firing. It further relates to `such firearms which have a Ysliding barrel which on tiring participates in the firstportion of the.

recoil movement and is then stopped, Awhile the breech blockI continues the recoil movementand accomplishes the ejection, recocking and reloading. In such arms the recoil of the'movable breech portion istaken up against an actuating or reaction spring which, when the recoil is spent, v moves vthe breech portion forward to'reload the varm by introducing a fresh cartridge from the magazine into the barrel.V The invention further relates to automatic pistols wherein the breech block or bolt is normally` connected to a breech slide cr housing, the `two moving together in the automatic recoil andreaction movements, lbut 'being separableyin order that the breech block may be retracted man ually forthe initial loading of the arm.

The present invention provides an automaticpistol or lanalogous firearm comprising aframe, a sliding barrel, a breech slide which is initially locked to the barrel and is f set free at any suitable point in the recoil movement, and a breech block which is normally locked to the breechslide. The invention providesV an improvedjbreech lock for preliminarily unitingthe barrel and vbreech slide, and for' disconnecting them and set- 45 ting the breech slide free at the end of the preliminary `retractile movement of the barrel.

`The construction will be made apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure l 1s a side elevation showing the breech slide in its retracted position in full` lines, and in its normal. position in dotted y. Application inea June 27,

AUTOMATIC-PISTOL: i

1921- Seriaiiro. 480,805.Y Y

Fig. 5 isa similarsection showing the ele-v breech slideandffbreechblockin their in-l stantaneous position at'` the-'end ofthe recoil movement; f l I Y ,y Fighfis a side elevation of -thebarrelg Figa? is anendeleva-tion thereof;

Fig. shows the breech lock detached, in threeviews, respectively a' plan, side eleva-- tion, andfront elevatio i Referring to the drawings, shownis, in general, of the lwell known Smith-& Al is the barrel, and B is the main frame which includes the hollow stock'or grip C within which.. the magazine (not shown) is inserted in the usual manner. The breech block D y is mounted to slide in the usual breech `opening E, and is normally lockedk by a catch A F to the breech slide G whichis formed vas a pressed forward by an actuating spring which is confined within a chamber in the breech slide, pressing forward against the solid front lwall 10thereof and rearwardl against .a lugfll k.projecting upwardly at the the i pistol' sliding' housing or'hoodover-l lying thefbarrel and stock and normalyf Wessontype ofautomatic pistol.

rear of; the-barrel A.v Thecat'ch F may be of :the constructionshownin Patents No;v

thebreech block, is which may be detlie arm. The firing mechanismshownis thatcommonly used" in the Smith & Wesson automatic', compristhe breech slide Gr,

inga trigger L, afhammer J, and a firin pin I, *the* hammer being set by a Sear which is disengaged 4by the operation of the trigger..

no relation tothe? not be described.

According to the present invention, the

barrel A, instead "of beingfastened-jto the frame B (asfhasbeen usual,y in the-Smith & esson automatic) is mounted to "have 'a The details yof. this mechanism` being lwell understood yin the art, andhaving presenty invention, need limited sliding movement onftheframe.' yIn 1 is engaved'by al semi-cylindrical recess 14 on y Ier side of the saddle-shaped breech." slide G (see F ig. 2). The movement vofthe u the unc y.the construction shown, the vbarrel slides in a Senn-cylindrical recess 13 in the frame, and

barrel is limited'toygthe distance betweenra shoulderltf-'on *the* barrel v(Fig 6) and a vshoulder 16 on the framey (Fig. 3)-asspring 17 serving to pressthe barrel forward. In

the preferred construotionlshown, the spring 17 is housed in a chamber formed in a lug f 1) carriedby thefbarrehand pressesjagainst a plungerl .IE5 which bears against the shoul- 1 der 1,6.

barrel .has la projection 20 which carries the breech lock yM shown separatelyinFig. 8. a l

vThe breech slide G is constructed geni Aerally as heretofore, having the* usual internal. longitudinal ribs .and l,grooves 21`hav ing vsliding,engagement with' the usual .eX-.

ternal grooves Vand ribs 22jon the mai-n frame (Figs. land 2). In addition, itisformed on opposite sides withl notches: 23l (see. Fig.

`l) for engagement-(in the position shown in dottedjlines in Ifig. ,1) withthe opposite lockinglugs .24. yof the lockM, whereby -in the normal position ready :for1 firing, the lSlide Gris locked to the barrel. .Thelock M hasl any suitable engagement with thebarrel IA, that shown being by la verticalrecess 25 -making ,a close 'workingv lit rwith the vvertical `sides ofthe projection 20- on lthe barrel.

The loek M vhas also Van roblique engagement with; the, frame B. For. this `.pur-posethe frame has a .milled-.out socket 26 the sideslof which haveoblique grooves 27 rmilled in" sidesvoblique -ribs 28 which slideinfthese f grooves.- It lresultsfrom rthis vconstruction that as the barrel lmovesfbac'kward .from its position shown in 13,;5the lock M-de l grooves-,and thereby lowers its ylocking lugs 24 iuntil at the ,end ofv the vprescribed' movementpf the barrelthese lugs descend suflicientlyx-ffar to disengage from .'the.-n` otches 23,^so thati'atthe instant when the barrel is frame., '.Thefbrecchslide and-breech block.

stoppedby ythe'gcontact of the shoulders 15, 1 6 (see Fig'lv), the breech slide 'Gr isset free and thereafter movesA back independently Lof the barrel, ywhich remainslocked fast lto the move back untilfthe breech block, as usual,

v `strikes the rear post `29 on. the '1nain frame.

Fromthe instant of stoppage of' the'barrel,

the furthermovement of the breech .slide vcompressesfthe spring H", and upon the'completion of the recoil movement the reaction oif.-.this spring' presses the breechsside :for-

ward, and when rthe ybreech `bloe'kvDstrikes ythev rear endvv-of .thel barrel, `they-notches "23 comeintocoincidence with lthe'locking lugs l ting lthe barrel free from the-'frame' -and l 65. locking it lagain Ito the breechslidefso thatl 24, so .that these vlugs may rise, -thereby setthe barrel participates in the remaining for` .'wardmovement of the latter, this movement beinglassisted by the stress-{ of spring 17.

It is understood that in arms of this `class the hammer J is set orcockedby being thrown back bythe breechA block(see Figy), being held cocked by the searK, which: actsnotwithstanding the retracted .position 'of the trigger;v and that the armis not fired until the trigger is released and againL pulled. It Ais also understood that the empty shell iS ejected at the end of the backward movement of the'breechblock D bythe usual' ejector 30. 'It is also understood' that at the instant when the breechblock is fully retracted, the

magazine pushes up the uppermostcartridge into the cavity E in front of the breech block, so". thatupon-'the ensuing reactive movement the breech block pushes the new cartridge ,into thebarr'elto'reload kthe arm. These features are so Awell understoodv that it is not-deemed ynecessary to illustrate vthe mechanisms or vtheir operationn 'any detail.

The presentinvention affordsa very ysirnvple, convenient, and'effe'ctive constructionfor the control of the barrel in an autov matic pistol of lthe sliding barrel type. This type hassome advantages over the construcframe. It is desirable that the barrel `be made .as light `as possible, in order that itsr 'tion `Where the 'barrel is xed to the main f fmass may not-materially affect therecoil i with ythe mainframe, lhas been employed to lock -a 'sliding barrel tothe breech block.l In myconstruction the lock effects engagement between the barrel andthe breech slide, and has .no direct relation Iwith the breech block, so that no linterference is afforded to fthe dis? 'connection of the breech block "from `the breech yslide for-"moving the block independently .of fthe slide. The breech'lock has `the double function `of lockingthe barrel'to lthe'breech slide when the latter. isk forward, andfrforlocking-'it fast to the main frame from the instant' when lin the recoil movement the barrel Yis unlocked from the breech slide, "so that during the major 'part' ofthe` l fixed to the frame." v

' l Itzwill lbe understood ythat the details of construction of thebreech lock andits'coacting'parts-'may be Isubject to considerabley modification without departing from r the essential features of the invention. In the con-V` 'structonshowm thebreech lock is in the I recoil movement the vbarrel becomes in eect form vof a tubular member embracing the upright projectionv 2O of the barrel, having lateral lengagement with the oblique slots in the frame, and having lateral lugs projecting to the exterior and engaging notches in the opposite skirts of the saddle-like slide G. These details, while desirableand preferable, are not essential lin the broader aspects of the invention. f

It will be observedthat the locking lugs 24 are beveled on their lower front sides,

and engage a beveled surface 3l `(parallel with the grooves 27) forming the bottom o notches 32'in the sides of thel frame, in which notches the lugs move obliquely ybetween the position shown in dotted lines,

rand that shown in full lines, in Fig. l. In

the position shown in full lines, the lugs are fully seated in the notches, and at the same time have a close sliding engagement with the under side of the slide G, wherebyv the locking-piece M is itself locked fast during the movementof the slide 'Gr' and until `the notches 23 again come into coincidence with it during the forward movement; consequently, the locking piece, by being held immovable, holds the barrel fixedly in its rearward position untilreleased during the forward movement of the breech slide.

I claim as my invention:

l. An automatic pistol comprising a frame,

i a barrel slidable thereon, a recoil-actuated breech bloc-lr, a breech slide overlying the barrel, detachably connected withfthe breech bloclr, and a lock for detachablyuniting the slide and breech block, combined with a breech loch normally uniting the barrel and breech slide and movable during the recoil movement to free the breech'slide and permit the latter and the breech'block to continue their recoil movement after the move-vr ment of the barrel has ceased.

3. An automatic pistol according to'yclaim 2, the breech lock, when unlocked from the barrel, engaged by a parallel portion of the breech slide. and adapted to be held thereby in position locking the barrel to the frame.

ll. An automatic pistol according to claim l, the frame having a recessmaking oblique engagement with the breech lock, which is movable in said recess, and said lock having` f a lateral locking lug, andthe breech slide' lhaving a notch engaged by said lug.

, I 5, An automatic pistol according to clairuy l, the breech slide having longitudinal slid` ing engagement with the frame and-formed as a housing overlying gthe.- barrel and con- `iningthe latter to the frame, and the lateral portionslof 'the slide havingcoacting engagement with the breech lock.

6. An automatic pistol comprising a frame, f I

a barrel slidable thereon, a recoil-actuatedl .breech block, a breech slide overlying the barrel, and a breechv lock, the frame having anoblique slideway and the breech lock engaging therewith, whereby it is movable transversely of the barrel, said lock normally uniting the barrel and breech slide and adapted during the recoil movement to freethe breech slide. 1

7. An automatic pistol comprising a frame,

'a barrel slidable thereon,v a recoil-actuated breech block, a breech slide overlying the barrel and confining the latter to the frame, the block detach-ably secured to the slide, and a breech lock normally uniting the barrel and breech slide and held in'engagement with lateral portions of the slide, and adapted during the recoil movement to free the breech slide,

8. An automatic pistol comprising a frame a barrel slidable thereon, a recoil-actuatedA breech block, a breech slide overlying the barrel, and a breech lock uniting the barrel and breech slide and movable during the recoil movement toV free the breech slide, the

frame having a recess making oblique enf-l gagem'ent with the breech lock, whereby the latter is moved transversely to the b-arrel during the recoil movement.

' 9.` An automatic pistol comprising a frame, i.

a barrel'slidable thereon, a recoil-actuated breech block, a breech slide having longitudinal sliding engagement with the'frame and formed as a housing overlying thevbarf rel, and a breechy lock normally. uniting the' i barrel and breech slide, theslide having a recess engaged by said lock, the lock adapted to disengage said recess during the recoil, and the slide having al prolonged parallel portion engaging said lock during the fury ther recoil movement.

10. .An automatic pistol according to claim 9, the breech lock adapted to lock the barrel to the frame lduring the period of its disconnection from the breech slide and held in position so locking the barrel by engagement vwith such parallel-portion of the slide.

In witness whereof, I 'have hereunto signed my name.

EDWARDS. PoMERoY. 

